page_title: Postage stamp
section_title: Types
hierarchical_section_title: Postage stamp / Types
caption_attribution_description: English: Red Mercury - 6 kreuzer vermilion issued in 1856 Deutsch: Zinnoberroter Merkur - Michel N°9
context_page_description: A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage, who then affix the stamp to the face or address-side of any item of mail—an envelope or other postal cover —that they wish to send. The item is then processed by the postal system, where a postmark or cancellation mark—in modern usage indicating date and point of origin of mailing—is applied to the stamp and its left and right sides to prevent its reuse. The item is then delivered to its addressee.
  Always featuring the name of the issuing nation, a denomination of its value, and often an illustration of persons, events, institutions, or natural realities that symbolize the nation's traditions and values, every stamp is printed on a piece of usually rectangular, but sometimes triangular or otherwise shaped special custom-made paper whose back is either glazed with an adhesive gum or self-adhesive.
context_section_description: Airmail stamp – for payment of airmail service. The term "airmail" or an equivalent is usually printed on special airmail stamps. Airmail stamps typically depict images of airplanes and/or famous pilots and were used when airmail was a special type of mail delivery separate from mail delivered by train, ship or automobile. Aside from mail with local destinations, today almost all other mail is transported by aircraft and thus airmail is now the standard method of delivery. Scott has a separate category and listing for U.S. Airmail Postage. Prior to 1940, Scotts Catalogue did not have a special designation for airmail stamps. The various major stamp catalogs have different numbering systems and may not always list airmail stamps the same way.
  ATM stamp — stamps dispensed by automates and get their value imprinted only at the time of purchase.
  Booklet stamp – stamps produced and issued in booklet format.
  Carrier's stamp.
  Certified mail stamp.
  Cinderella stamp
  Coil stamps – tear-off stamps issued individually in a vending machine, or purchased in a roll.
  Commemorative stamp – a stamp that is issued for a limited time to commemorate a person or event. Anniversaries of birthdays and historical events are among the most common examples.
  Computer vended postage – advanced secure postage that uses information-based indicia (IBI) technology. IBI uses a two-dimensional bar code (Datamatrix or PDF417) to encode the originating address, date of mailing, postage and a digital signature to verify the stamp.
  Customised stamp – a stamp on which the image can be chosen by the purchaser by sending in a photograph or by use of the computer. Some are not true stamps but technically meter labels.
  Definitive stamps – stamps for everyday postage and are usually produced to meet current postal rates. They often have less appealing designs than commemoratives, though there are notable exceptions. The same design may be used for many years. The use of the same design over an extended period may lead to unintended color varieties. This may make them just as interesting to philatelists as are commemoratives. A good example would be the US 1903 regular issues, their designs being very picturesque and ornamental. Definitive stamps are often issued in a series of stamps with different denominations.
  Express mail stamp / special delivery stamp.
  Late fee stamp – issued to show payment of a fee to allow inclusion of a letter or package in the outgoing dispatch although it has been turned in after the cut-off time.
  Local post stamps – used on mail in a local post; a postal service that operates only within a limited geographical area, typically a city or a single transportation route. Some local posts have been operated by governments, while others, known as private local posts, have been operated by for-profit companies.
  Make up stamp - a stamp with a very small value, used to make up the difference when postage rates are increased.
  Military stamp – stamp for a country's armed forces, usually using a special postal system.
  Minisheet – a commemorative issue smaller than a regular full sheet of stamps, but with more than one stamp. Minisheets often contain a number of different stamps, and often having a decorative border. See also souvenir sheets.
  Newspaper stamp – used to pay the cost of mailing newspapers and other periodicals.
  Official mail stamp – issued for use by the government or a government agency.
  Occupation stamp – a stamp for use by an occupying army or by the occupying army or authorities for use by civilians
  Non-denominated postage – postage stamp that remains valid even after the price has risen. Also known as a permanent or "forever" stamp.
  Overprint - A regularly issued stamp, such as a commemorative or a definitive issue, that has been changed after issuance by "printing over" some part of the stamp. Denominations can be changed in this manner.
  Perforated stamps – while this term usually refers to perforations around a stamp to divide a sheet into individual stamps, it can also be used for stamps perforated across the middle with letters
caption: The Red Mercury, a rare 1856 newspaper stamp of Austria.
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